Thesis (M.S. in Electrical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2007. / Thesis Advisor(s): Alexander L. Julian, William B. Maier. "March 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p. 53). Also available in print.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / Theory and simulations of the railgun and free electron laser are presented, as well as a suggestion for extending the railgun lifecycle. The theory, design, and analysis of an electromagnetic railgun using a numerical model are discussed. The effects of varying electrical pulse formations, rail materials and geometries are explored. The application of a metallurgical process to mitigate hypervelocity gouging in railgun rails is proposed. This concept, to delay the onset velocity of gouging by laser-peening rails surfaces, may significantly increase the velocity at which projectiles acceptably traverse the barrel and extend the useful life of rails. If successful, this process would apply to any pair of materials in sliding contact at high relative velocity, including rocket sled tracks and light gas guns barrels. The status of proof-of-concept tests at LLNL, UC Davis, and UT is covered. FEL simulations investigating the effect that electron beam focal point variations have on the optical mode within the undulator are presented. / Lieutenant, United States Navy

Thesis (M.S. in Applied Physics)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): William B. Colson. Includes bibliographical references (p. 49). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S. in Systems Technology)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Orin Marvel, Curt Schleher. Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-74). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S. in Systems Technology)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Orin Marvel, Curt Schleher. Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-74). Also available online.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / An investigation of how fuel cells, an integrated power system, and directed energy weapons will affect the shipboard command and control process. The focus is on the implementation of the new technologies onboard near-term and far-term destroyer variants and the resulting changes to the command and control process. / Ensign, United States Naval Reserve

A study and analysis of high energy laser (HEL) systems aboard tactical aircraft is performed. The FA-18E/F Hornet and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), equipped with solid-state HEL systems, are the main subjects of the study. Considerations of power generation and thermal management for a fighter-sized HEL system and aero-optic effects on beam propagation from high and medium altitude platforms are examined. An overview of system capabilities details how the HEL system will be more difficult to incorporate into legacy strike aircraft, but may be feasible for future aircraft such as the JSF. Tactical flight simulations are used to study and develop potential concepts of operation (CONOPS), using realistic scenarios and threat environments. Results show that a tactical HEL will not be a stand-alone weapon in combat, but will have many potentially useful tactical applications. Another study of a high energy free electron laser (FEL) system aboard C-130J-30 Hercules shows that such a system is feasible. Finally, a study of the FEL shows that strong field extraction can be optimized using undulator tapering. / US Marien Corps (USMC) author.

Thesis (M.S. in Applied Physics)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): William Colson, Robert Armstead. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-68). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S. in Applied Physics)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2005. / Thesis Advisor(s): William B. Colson. Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-81). Also available online.

O pós-Guerra Fria (1991-2006) apresenta uma mudança significativa no cenário estratégico: a maior acessibilidade da tecnologia militar e o surgimento de novas armas capazes de modificar o poder coercitivo dos países – como as Armas de Energia Direta – acabam pondo em cheque a idéia de que a primazia nuclear é condição suficiente para garantir a unipolaridade. Focando-se no atual recrudescimento das tensões entre EUA com a Rússia – especialmente com a proposta estadunidense de implementação do Escudo Antimíssil no Leste Europeu – e com a China, e analisando as relações de poder entre os três países, procuramos revelar que tipo de competição ocorrerá no Sistema Internacional nas próximas décadas. A presente dissertação analisa as reais possibilidades de que a primazia nuclear estadunidense se torne efetiva, uma vez que para tanto é necessário o desarmamento estratégico das demais potências. Como uma guerra nuclear entre os três países possui um custo político muito elevado as disputas tendem a ser decididas na esfera das operações. Para ilustrar essa última afirmação usamos um cenário contrafactual de guerra nuclear limitada entre Estados Unidos, Rússia e China, por meio do qual tentamos evidenciar as pré-condições táticas e operacionais para uma eventual vitória da coalizão sino-russa. / The evolution of the Post-Cold War (1991-2006) international system shows a significant amount of change regarding the strategic capabilities of United States, Russia, and China. The rise of a new class of strategic weapons called Directed Energy Weapons (lasers and high power microwaves), as well as the great costs associated with the quest for nuclear primacy, demand closer examination of the current assumption about the links between nuclear primacy and unipolar distribution of power in the International System. Starting with the current tensions between US and Russia, we try to reveal in this article what kind of competition might be observed in the International System over the next decade. The present work analyzes the real possibilities of the USA achieving an effective nuclear primacy condition, which requires the complete disarmament of all other powers. Since a nuclear war between the three countries has a very high political cost, disputes tend to be settled on the operational sphere. In order to demonstrate this final point, we made comparative use of two nuclear war scenarios. This works concludes by establishing the tactical and operational conditions that Russia and China seems to counting with in order to defeat United States if a shooting war comes.